Repurposed Railyard Becomes Award-Winning Park

The City Parks blog looks at Santa Fe Railyard Park and Plaza, one of the winners of this year's Rudy Bruner Awards for Urban Excellence.

1 minute read

July 6, 2011, 5:00 AM PDT

By Tim Halbur


Colleen Gentles explains how the Santa Fe Railyard Community Corporation and The Trust for Public Land worked with the local community to develop a plan for the aging site, and succeeded in spades:

"Many dimensions of Santa Fe converge here: history, water use, local agriculture, transportation, education, arts and culture, and community. There are commercial and cultural facilities, the twice-weekly Santa Fe Farmers Market, a pedestrian and bicycle path, and a commuter rail connection for Northern New Mexico within the Railyard's historic depot. As the 'family room' of Santa Fe, the Railyard complements the city's 'living room' in the historic Santa Fe Plaza by providing additional space for arts, festivals, and day-to-day life."

Thursday, June 30, 2011 in City Parks Blog

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

The Seat of Government

Good Planning Under Bad Leadership

Planners must sometimes work under bad leadership. Here are suggestions for responsive planning in challenging political environments.

February 3, 2025 - Todd Litman

Close-up of Donald Shoup during interview.

Legendary Parking Guru Donald Shoup Dies at 86

Urbanists are mourning the loss of a dynamic voice for parking reform and walkable cities.

February 10, 2025 - StreetsBlog NYC

Amtrak train with downtown Seattle in background.

Amtrak Cascades Line Breaks Ridership Record

The route linking Portland, Seattle, and Vancouver, BC served nearly one million riders in 2024.

February 2, 2025 - Daily Hive

Vacant interior of open plan office with large buildings and stacked wood planks on floor.

Over 71K Office-to-Apartment Units in the Pipeline for 2025

Adaptive reuse projects are continuing to bring thousands of new housing units onto the market as demand for office space remains low.

4 hours ago - RentCafé

Crane and construction on multi-story buildings in downtown Houston, Texas.

How Houston Can Be a Model for Housing Reform

The city builds more new housing than almost any other and has dramatically reduced homelessness, yet low-income families struggle to find affordable housing.

5 hours ago - Urban Edge

Small rural USPS post office in manufactured one-story grey building with American flag in front.

Delivering for America Plan Will Downgrade Mail Service in at Least 49.5 Percent of Zip Codes

Republican and Democrat lawmakers criticize the plan for its disproportionate negative impact on rural communities.

6 hours ago - Cowboy State Daily